Fantasy football 2019: Impact of New York Jets coaching changes

The New York Jets offense hopes to take off this season under new head coach Adam Gase. Can he elevate the team’s fantasy football prospects?

Veteran fantasy football owners try and leave as little as possible up to chance. The research put into a draft is critical and being aware of the changing coaching landscape is one way to accomplish that.

Subsequently, we’ve embarked on a series that has analyzed the following teams in a series of articles that break down the fantasy football impact of new offensive coordinator and head coaching hires, ranked from No. 15 and counting down:

15. Cleveland Browns, 14. Washington Redskins, 13. Baltimore Ravens, 12. Denver Broncos, 11. Tennessee Titans, 10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 9. Miami Dolphins, 8. Cincinnati Bengals, 7. Jacksonville Jaguars, 6. Green Bay Packers

Next up is a quick layover in New York (yeah, yeah, so it’s New Jersey, what’s it to ya?) with the Jets. Can Adam Gase climb into the captain’s chair and pilot the New York Jets to new heights?

5. New York Jets

New Head Coach: Adam Gase; New Offensive Coordinator: Dowell Loggains

Adam Gase has gained national notoriety for crazy eyes and smelling salts, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post. The Jets’ new head coach, now a legend in the world of memes, told NFL.com that he “doesn’t look at the internet.”  If he did, he would’ve read about himself as the most coveted head coaching prospect on the market just three years ago.

Gase, a former quarterbacks coach under Mike Martz, became the Denver Broncos‘ offensive coordinator in 2013. In his first season under Gase, Peyton Manning shattered the single-season passing touchdowns record en route to an MVP season and a Super Bowl appearance.

Gase then served as the offensive coordinator of the injury-riddled 2015 Chicago Bears before the Miami Dolphins gave him his first head coaching opportunity. Gace was sent packing by the  Dolphins after he failed to amass a .500 or better record in two of his three seasons there.

Lost in the shuffle was this interesting stat line from Steve Wine of the Associated Press, which highlights how good Gace’s teams were in pressure situations with the game on the line.  As for the other 20 games? Some finger Gase as the culprit, and others point to a lack of talent, so make inferences at your own risk:

It’s clear where the Jets stand. They didn’t even give Gase a chance to file for unemployment, hiring him as their new head coach just ten days after he was let go by their division rival. Gase has left a positive impression on many he has worked with, according to The Athletic’s Dan Pompei:

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Gase encountered some turbulence shortly after takeoff with the Jets, however, as he found himself embroiled in a power struggle with general manager Mike Maccagnan, according to Forbes’ J.P. Pelzman. Maccagnan was let go and replaced with former Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel, Joe Douglas, who grew fond of Gase during their time together in Chicago.

The Jets’ new offensive coordinator, Dowell Loggains, will take a back seat to Gase in terms of offensive design and playcalling. No one knows for sure what he and Gase will cook up for second-year quarterback Sam Darnold and newly-signed running back Le’Veon Bell, but James Cunningham of FullPressCoverage.com broke down film in an attempt to find these answers.

One thing he uncovered is sure to please those who own shares of Bell, especially in PPR leagues. Not only did Gase display a willingness to split his pass-catching running backs out wide, he employed liberal use of runs and checkdowns to set up big plays.

Gase didn’t utilize a bell-cow back in Miami, so some view Bell as a bust waiting to happen. His detractors point to the presence of Bilal Powell, pass-catching specialist Elijah McGuire, and former Green Bay Packers running back/wide receiver Ty Montgomery, all of whom offer value in specialist roles.

However, Gase also never had a player of Bell’s caliber at his disposal. More than anything, the three backs listed above are indicative of smart roster management by the Jets’ front office. The three can be situationally and strategically deployed to keep Bell fresh, and they form a natural committee in the event of injury to the star running back.

Some fantasy owners, burned last season by the former Pittsburgh Steelers holdout, have sworn him off; that would be a mistake. Bell was a top-two fantasy player beforehand and lost no tread off of his tires last season, so expect a big year for Bell, who’s once again worthy of a first-round pick.

Film study also shows Gase’s propensity to pepper his slot receiver with an exorbitant amount of underneath routes. This spells late-round fantasy gold in the form of new addition Jamison Crowder.

The slippery former Washington Redskins pass-catcher averaged about 100 targets over his last two full seasons in a familiar role, with an average finish of WR37 in those campaigns. Crowder won’t win any fantasy football championships by himself this season, but as the WR58 in PPR leagues (ADP 13.08), he represents excellent value as a flex option or spot starter.

Robby Anderson is a perfect fit for a higher-ceiling, lower-floor role as a big-play receiver. Expect him to stretch defenses and tax safeties, allowing Darnold to work underneath. He’s an excellent best-ball target, as well as a decent standard league option who’s going off the board in the late sixth or early seventh round in 12-team PPR leagues.

Quincy Enunwa could easily gain value as a bye week fill-in or waiver wire addition in the event of injury to Crowder and Anderson. For now, Enunwa is projected to fill the third wide receiver role, so he’ll likely trail the other two in terms of snaps and target volume, which is why he’s largely undrafted in 12-team leagues.

Perhaps the most intriguing pass catcher on the Jets roster is Miami (FL) product Chris Herndon, who enters his sophomore season after catching almost 40 passes for over 500 yards as a rookie. Normally, a four-game suspension to start the season would cause fantasy owners to look the other way, but with his draft value depressed, the talented tight end offers sneaky value as a late-round bench stash at a thin position.

Herndon may not be a top-10 or 15 fantasy tight end by season’s end, but his per-game numbers should be. Former Houston Texans tight end Ryan Griffin will fill the void until Week 6, but he’s not an inspiring option in any fantasy football format.

Whenever a passing game is greater than the sum of its parts, it’s because of quarterback play. Gase gave his signal caller the ultimate compliment about his leadership abilities, and it doesn’t sound like coachspeak:

Those who like to roster two or more quarterbacks like Darnold’s upside as a Round 14 pick in 12-team PPR leagues. He’s also a very intriguing value proposition in 2-QB leagues as the QB25, where he’s lasting well into the ninth round.

The Jets are being re-assembled this preseason, and optimism reigns supreme. Whether this offense soars or stalls on the runway is up to Gase and Darnold. If the new head coach can get his young quarterback to flourish in the system and reach his potential, the Jets could conceivably wrestle a division title away from the New England Patriots for the first time in 17 years, and exceed fantasy football expectations in the process.